Plex unveils Cloud Sync, puts your media everywhere

Plex brought media server and end-client apps to the masses, making the process easy for even the average computer user. Install the server app on a computer, walk through the simple setup process and then enjoy your music and videos from other computers, mobile devices, consoles and set-top boxes.

Now the company has unveiled its latest improvement to this system -- Cloud Sync. Plex Sync was unveiled last November, and the company claims it has been a major success, stating that "users have synced hundreds of terabytes of media to their iOS and Android devices, and we’ve heard stories from people using it to make their plane trips less boring, vacations more fun, and long commutes more palatable".

But this is not always a feasible option for everyone. For instance, you may not have the available space on your mobile device or simply not have the connection or bandwidth to handle things properly.

Plex Cloud Sync, which has debuted in beta form, is an effort to address those concerns, but it doesn't come free. A PlexPass subscription is required, meaning you will be set back $3.99 per month, though annual and lifetime options are open to customers as well. The new feature will work with multiple cloud storage providers like Dropbox and Box.

"One of the coolest features of Cloud Sync is the ability to configure multiple storage providers, and set individual limits for each. You can then create a smart sync rule and the videos will be uploaded and spread across different providers as needed", Plex explains in its announcement.

Your media is then accessible even if your server is off and, best of all, view progress will be synced as well. That is one of the best features of Plex -- begin watching on your TV and then pick up later on your tablet while out and about.

To get started, you'll need the aforementioned Plex Media Server and also must be running the latest version of it -- 0.9.8.10 has just been released and enables Cloud Sync. The company cautions "just to note, we consider Cloud Sync a beta. We’ll be making tweaks over the next weeks as we get feedback, so please leave your impressions and comments in our new Cloud Sync forum".